After Alabella
by crematosis
Summary: Alabella Nox is Fayt's best friend in childhood. But when tragedy befalls the Nox household, Fayt is left to deal with her brother Albel, who bitterly blames Fayt. AlbelxFayt AU
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ugh. I've got a huge number of notebooks in my room with a few chapters of stories written in them. After years of collecting dust, I'm going to try and type up some of them and see if anybody is still interested. If not, I'll go back to whatever else it is I should be doing. I'm not the greatest with kids having no kids of my own and they might not act appropriately for their age. -shrug- Well, I tried.

Disclaimer: Alabella is mine and so are the other girls...but they're related to Albel, who belongs to someone else.

"Fayt? Fayt Leingod?"

Hearing his name, the tiny eight-year old looked around guiltily. He was playing in the front yard without his mother's permission. It was a feminine voice, although it didn't really sound like his mother.

"Right over here, honey. Turn to your left and look over the fence."

Large green eyes finally settled on the speaker, a slender woman with a kindly smile. She looked friendly, but Fayt remembered the warnings. Even on calm rural worlds like Hydra, there were always a few unsavory characters who kidnapped children and sold them as slaves.

Frantically, Fayt gathered up his toys. His family wasn't very wealthy, but his mother had insisted that Fayt get a few good toys for his birthday every year. Fayt was especially fond of his voice command ball and the flying disc with a homing mechanism. Even though his life was in danger, he couldn't bear to leave them behind.

"It's okay, Fayt," the woman said soothingly. "I'm your next door neighbor. She indicated the house behind her. "I'm not a stranger.. I've already talked to your mother. She's very sick, isn't she?"

Fayt cautiously set down his armful of toys. It was true. His mother was very ill and confined to her bed. The doctors had suggested the fresh, clean air of Hydra for her health. No child snatcher should know that.

"There now," the woman said cheerfully. "I'm Mrs. Nox. If you want some company, you can always come over here. I know your mother feels bad that she can't do more with you, but you're always welcome to play with my children."

Fayt nodded. "Okay," he said softly.

Mrs. Nox smiled. "Good. Why don't you come on over and you can meet the girls. They'll love having a neighbor to play with."

The Nox house was warm and inviting. Digital photo frames displayed pictures of the Nox family vacationing on off-planet resorts. Fascinated, Fayt wandered through the hallway, examining the photos of exotic destinations he would never see. His father was a researched in an outpost across the galaxy, but most of the money he made went to pay Mrs. Leingod's medical bills. Thus, the Leingod home was very bare, the only furnishings being Fayt's bed and his mother's medical equipment.

"Here they are. I've rounded them all up-"

Startled, Fayt spun around. He hadn't heard Mrs. Nox go upstairs to fetch her daughter and he hadn't heard them all come downstairs. He had been too absorbed in the photos. He looked down at his feet, feeling his face flush with embarrassment.

Mrs. Nox smiled. "It's okay to look. Pictures on the walls were meant to be seen. Right, girls?"

The eight Nox girls smiled at Fayt, trying to put him at ease. However, the effect was slightly disconcerting. All the girls looked like miniature versions of their mother. They were all slim with shoulder-length brown hair. However, only the youngest had her mother's red eyes. The rest had hazel eyes. They all wore a different colored outfit, presumably so everyone could tell them apart. They looked remarkably alike with their heights varying only slightly.

"We'll start with the oldest," Mrs. Nox said briskly. She stood before the row of girls and put her hand on the shoulder of the tall girl in a blue sundress. "This is Analiese. She's twenty."

"And Aeryn is eighteen." The girl in the yellow jumper nodded.

"And then we have Aramir, 16, in the red, Araya, 15, in the green, Antalya, 13, in the brown, Ashael, 11, in the orange, and Ari, 10, in the pink. Last but not least, we have Alabella, the baby of the family."

The youngest girl pursed her lips. "I'm not a baby. I'm taller than him. Probably older too." She sniffed disdainfully.

"How old are you, Fayt?" Mrs. Leingod asked gently.

"I just turned eight," Fayt said quietly.

"You're the same age as Alabella," Mrs. Nox said cheerfully. "You two will probably play together. You don't want to hang around and old bat like me."

"I'm not playing with him," Alabella declared loudly, hands on her hips. "He looks like a wimp."

"Alabella," her mother said warningly. "Be nice to our guest."

"I thought you said he was a boy," Alabella said scornfully. "I thought I would finally have someone to play catch and shuttle ball with. But he's not a boy. He's a spineless worm. With one last fierce glare at Fayt for daring to exist, she stomped upstairs to her room. The distant sound of a door slamming filled the momentary silence after her outburst.

Mrs. Nox sighed. "I'm sorry, Fayt. Alabella is a little spoiled I'm afraid. She was really hoping for someone a little older to play with. She misses her father and I'm sure she was looking for another grown-up to replace him. She'll come around eventually and be glad for a playmate her own age. Come, I'll walk you back home. I ought to pay a visit to your mother and see how she is this week."

Fayt smiled gratefully at Mrs. Nox. He turned to say good-bye to the girls. His gaze lifted to the top of the stairs where Alabella was now standing, glaring down at him. Resolutely, Fayt took Mrs. Nox's offered hand and started for home.

Fayt was told to go play in his room while the adults talked. Fayt pulled his container of toys out from under the bed and tossed his ball back inside. He crept closer to the doorway and listened intently. Yes, the adults were still talking in his mother's room next door. He could hear Mrs. Nox's silky voice and his mother's raspy voice answering.

"What did the doctors say?" Mrs. Nox asked softly.

"It doesn't look good," Mrs. Leingod rasped. "But I can't give up hope. Fayt needs me."

"You just rest and recover," Mrs. Nox said soothingly. "Don't worry about Fayt. I'll look after him. You just worry about regaining your strength. I don't want you to push it."

Fayt's mother sighed. "Poor boy. I hate to see him cooped up all alone in a strange new house with only a sick woman for company. A boy his age needs friends to play with. It's a pity I had to drag Fayt all the way to Hydra with me. I'm sure he'd love to be back home with all his friends. He's all alone here."

"Fayt won't be alone. We'll look after him. Now, I've got to get back and check on the girls. You just rest. Fayt is welcome over here anytime."

As Mrs. Nox headed out the door, Fayt nodded to himself. He wasn't going to give up etiher.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I just love Alabella so much…she's a pint-sized female version of Albel. All the attitude in a tiny, feminine body. XDD And Fayt's so utterly submissive that even a girl could boss him around.

Disclaimer: Since Alabella is almost Albel anyway…I guess I can't actually claim to own her. It's a pity.

Bright and early the next morning, Fayt was standing on the doorstep of the Nox house. He was wearing an old t-shirt and scuffed tennis shoes which would be perfect for playing around in the yard. He shifted the container of toys he was carrying under one arm and reached out a finger to press the doorbell.

Immediately, the home's security system came to life. A tiny security camera swiveled to face him. It scanned him and his possessions. Apparently satisfied that he was unarmed, it pulled back. "Name, please?" the electronic voice inquired.

"Fayt Leingod," the boy said softly.

With a click, the camera stilled. Fayt could hear a faint voice inside the house announce his presence. Fayt waited patiently for Mrs. Nox to welcome him in. Surely she could convince Alabella to play with him.

Unexpectedly, Alabella yanked open the door and scowled fiercely at Fayt. She was wearing sweatpants and a loose purple t-shirt. She was likely still in her pajamas and not expecting visitors.

"Hi," Fayt said quietly.

"What do you want?" she growled.

Fayt indicated his box of toys.

Alabella sighed. "Look, moron. I don't want to play with your toy cars and I don't want to build little cities. That's boring. I can do that with my sisters. I want someone like my dad who will play catch and go on adventures with me."

"I can do that," Fayt insisted.

"You?" Alabella asked scornfully. "You're a wimp. You're a lazy city boy. You've never run across Drallen field, climbed Kerr hill or hunted for a lost ball in the woods."

"No," Fayt admitted. "But I'd like to."

"You can't," Alabella snapped. "You'd get eaten. Way out in the wilderness, there are bugs and wild things that-"

"Alabella." Mrs. Nox's voice floated down from upstairs. "Invite him in. Don't just stand in the doorway talking him to death."

With an aggravated sigh, Alabella grabbed Fayt's arm and yanked him inside. She shut the door forcefully. "You don't know anything," she hissed. "You don't even know how to defend yourself. There's no way I'd let you come with me if you're this helpless."

"I can learn," Fayt offered. "I played battle simulations back on Terra."

Alabella cocked her head to one side and squinted at him. "You any good?"

Fayt nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I'm good at the battle games."

Alabella waved a hand dismissively. "Battle simulations aren't the same as real battles. But I guess you do know a little bit about fighting so you're totally helpless. I'll still have a lot to teach you, but at least I won't have to teach you everything."

Fayt beamed. "Okay, when do we start?"

"Alabella, before you go out playing with Fayt you need to get dressed," Mrs. Nox called down the stairs.

Alabella scowled. "Mom always interrupts everything. Stay here." She forcibly pressed Fayt onto the couch and headed upstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, a glowering Alabella plodded back downstairs. She was now wearing a purple tank top and a long, restrictive purple skirt. Alabella angrily yanked the matching purple flower out of her hair and tossed it to the ground. She stomped on it once for good measure and snorted. "Come on, Fayt," she snapped. "Let's get out of here."

Obediently, Fayt rose and followed her out into the front yard. Alabella selected two sturdy branches from the tree and snapped them off. She handed one to Fayt. "We'll start our training with these," she announced.

Fayt nodded. He gripped the branch tightly and settled into a fighting stance.

Alabella took a practice swing with her stick and grumbled to herself. She tossed the stick aside and frowned down at her skirt. "Can't do anything like this," she declared. She grabbed the hem of her skirt with both hands and tore a long slit in one side up to her thigh. "There, that ought to do it."

Fayt waited patiently as Alabella picked up her stick and swung it experimentally. "Much better." Alabella grinned evilly at Fayt. "Ready to eat dirt?"

Alabella was fast, Fayt reflected. She struck relentlessly and without warning. Fayt did his best to counter and block her fierce strikes but there were several scratches on his arms where he was less than successful.

Finally, Alabella lowered her stick sword and smirked. "Not bad for a wimp." She casually swung her stick in a loose one-handed grip.

Fayt smiled and straightened out of his fighting crouch. "That was fun." He let his arm drop to the side.

Alabella smirked. "Not as fun as this." She struck at him suddenly and Fayt barely managed to bring his branch up in time to block his face.

"Not bad at all," Alabella purred. She tossed the stick aside and Fayt let go of his own branch in relief. Alabella would not be attacking him again. "You're a decent fighter," Alabella allowed. "Maybe I could take you with me for a little bit at least. You'd at least survive the bugs."

"I'll come with you," Fayt said cheerfully. "It sounds like fun."

"Well, enough training for now. Let's have some lunch and then I'll ask mom if we can go exploring."

Mrs. Nox took one look at her daughter and groaned. "Alabella Ramira Nox. Your aunt sent you that skirt. You've worn it one day and you've already ruined it."

Alabella snorted. "Ruined it? Pfft, I made it better."

"What am I going to do with you? Your sisters will grow up to be respectable young ladies and you'll still be climbing trees and rolling in the dirt. You'll never get married if you don't learn to be civilized."

"I don't care," Alabella said indignantly. "All that mushy romance stuff is overrated. Boys should appreciate girls that can do boy stuff. But they're all dumb. I don't care if I ever get married. But if you're gonna force me to marry somebody, I can always marry Fayt. He likes me just the way that I am."

Mrs. Nox raised an eyebrow and fought a smile. "I thought you didn't get along with Fayt." She gave Fayt a reassuring smile, pleased with how sociable Alabella had become.

"He's okay," Alabella said with a shrug. "He doesn't talk much and he's kinda boring. But at least he does whatever I say. That's what I want in a husband."

Mrs. Nox sighed. "You're certainly aiming for a very unhappy marriage. No husband is going to put up with a little dictator. But I'm sure when the time comes you'll come to your senses and actually care about the poor man you're planning on marrying. But if you can't learn to be nice to your friends, it's doubtful you'll learn to be nice to a potential husband." She put a gentle hand on Fayt's shoulder. "The poor boy has been doing his best to get along with you and you've not been very nice at all."

"I'm easy to get along with," Alabella insisted. "Just do it my way and no one gets hurt."

Mrs. Nox sighed. "Yes, I was afraid you'd say that. You're lucky Fayt's such a nice boy to be willing to put up with you." She smiled indulgently at Fayt. "Who knows? Fayt may be the one that eventually tames you and makes you into a normal human being."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This one is a lot longer than the other chapters and also a lot sadder. Although, the moving might seem sadder than the death. Aaagh, I'm so callous.

Disclaimer: I want my own Fayt to go with my Alabella. They're awesome together.

Days became weeks, weeks became months. Fayt made a point of visiting the Nox house everyday. Days spent with the lively Alabella were always fun. They helped take Fayt's mind off his ailing mother since Alabella demanded his full attention at all times.

Summer was unfortunately drawing to a close. The endless days racing through the fields would end when school began.

"You know," Alabella suggested. "We could run away from home and live out here. Then we wouldn't have to go to school next week. School is boring anyway."

"But what would we eat?"

"Bah. Don't worry about that. I'll hunt something for us."

"Really?" Fayt brightened at the thought.

"No." Alabella scowled and kicked a rock. "Nothing here worth eating. I hate school, but it's better than starving to death out here. I wish we really could live out here though. It'd be an adventure."

Fayt sighed. "Schools on Terrra are strict. Everyone expects me to be super smart since my dad's a researcher. Luckily no one knows me here."

Alabella looked puzzled. "Why does that matter? Doesn't your mother teach you?"

Fayt shook his head. "Of course not. She's too sick. I went to school with all the children in my city."

Alabella wrinkled her nose. "That's stupid. My mother's a better teacher than any stupid city person. They'd probably make school even more boring."

Fayt grinned. "True."

"So, you can come to my house and my mother will teach you," Alabella said confidently. "Besides, school will be fun if you're with me."

Fayt liked Mrs. Nox. She was friendly, caring, and maternal. She wasn't boring, although she could be a little overprotective. Fayt assume that Alabella only objected to the curriculum, not her mother's teaching style. Classes on Terra were both difficult and boring. So much was covered in the textbooks that most students were thoroughly bored with Terran history with the first week. Fayt knew little about Hyda's school system, but Mrs. Nox did not seem like a strict teacher. He held out faint hope for the school year.

Fayt's optimism dramatically increased the first day of school. Analiese and Aeryn greeted him at the door as he arrived. He was such a common sight in the Nox household that he was practically considered family. The two eldest girls had already graduated from both high school and college and they were on their way out to jobs in the nearby city as Fayt arrived. He envied their freedom.

"Come on in, Fayt," Mrs. Nox called merrily from the other room. "Bella and I are about to begin our lesson."

"Run, Fayt!" Alabella shouted. "She's making us learn boring history stuff."

"Alabella," Mrs. Nox admonished. "History is not boring. It can be very fascinating."

"Doubt it," Alabella grumbled.

Fayt cautiously rounded the corner and peeked into the other room. Alabella was sitting cross-legged on the floor, a sour look on her face.

"Today we will study the planet of Elicoor," Mrs. Nox began. "It's located in the far reaches of the Federation. It's one of the most recent additions to the Federation, having only obtained space travel within the last few decades. It's an exciting prospect to learn about this new planet."

"Boring, you mean," Alabella muttered.

Mrs. Nox ignored her. "Most of us know only what we've learned from Elicoorian ambassadors who had explained part of their culture to Federation officials. However, archaeologists have also visited Elicoor and have uncovered evidence of three ancient civilizations called Airyglyph, Aquaria, and Greeton. Airyglyph and Aquarian apparently warred for thousands of years before a planetary government could be established."

Alabella's eyes lit up. "War, yes. I want to hear about that."

Mrs. Nox smiled indulgently. "Turn on your book cube, dear, and you can see some pictures of the recovered Glyphian artifacts."

Eagerly, Alabella inserted a disk into the cube and was rewarded with a holographic image of a katana. "Awesome," she murmured. Inserting one finger into the hologram, she scrolled the virtual page down to the bottom and read the description of the weapon.

Mrs. Nox smiled. "While Bella is occupied, I'll teach you about Hyda, hmn?"

Fayt nodded. He slipped a disk on Hyda into the book cube Mrs. Nox provided and listened as she pointed out Hyda's landmarks on a hologram of the planet.

Most school days were the same. Mrs. Nox kept Alabella occupied with ancient pre-Federation history. She eagerly devoured disks on the old Terran civilizations of China, Greece, and Rome. Fayt was treated to geography lessons and disks full of fabulous scenery that the Nox family had seen on vacation. It worked well on most days. However, Alabella was restless and impatient. After an hour or so of learning, she wanted a break to spar with Fayt. Alabella rarely returned voluntarily from her breaks and Mrs. Nox had to chase her down and threaten to send Fayt home if she didn't finish her lessons.

Weekends were spent outdoors as long as the weather permitted. As winter neared, rainstorms became frequent. Despite Alabella's protest, Mrs. Nox wasn't about to let them play outside during a thunderstorm. On rainy days, Mrs. Nox allowed Alabella to set up a tent downstairs and rearrange the furniture into a simulated forest. Alabella would fire foam darts at holograms of woodland creatures and tell Fayt ghost stories. At night, the Nox family roasted marshmallows in the electric fireplace, Alabella proudly catching hers on fire. Fayt slept over at the Nox house ever weekend, sleeping in one of Analiese's old sleeping bags.

Fayt had become used to the routine and was surprised one day when he showed up and no one came to the door to admit him. The security system gave him only a cursory scan and then unlocked the front door. Fayt peered into the entry way, seeing one downstairs. Closing the front door behind him, he wandered through the kitchen and dining room before coming back to the spacious entryway. With a sigh, he settled down on a loveseat and waited.

"Hi, Fayt!" Alabella called enthusiastically.

Fayt looked up to see Alabella at the top of the stairs. Without hesitation, she climbed over the railing and dropped onto the couch below.

"Alabella, I saw that," Mrs. Nox said reprovingly from a room at the top of the stairs.

"It's my birthday so I can do whatever I want," Alabella shouted back. Alabella grinned at Fayt as Mrs. Nox slowly began to make her way downstairs. "So, what'd you get me for my birthday?"

"Alabella," Mrs. Nox scolded. "The poor boy had no one to take him to the store."

"I didn't know it was your birthday," Fayt confessed.

"What? You're my best friend. You're supposed to know."

Fayt blinked in surprise. "Best friend?"

"Of course," Alabella said confidently. "We're going to be best friends forever and we're going to get married so our kids can be tough just like us." Alabella leaned in closer to Fayt and whispered conspiratorially. "My dad's come back from the military for my birthday. Maybe I'll finally get a little brother."

"You'd really marry me?" Fayt looked doubtful.

"Sure, why not? Alabella flashed him a smile. "You're my best friend after all and I can't let you marry a wimpy wife. I'm the best girl out there. Promise me we'll get married when we're older?"

"Okay," Fayt said softly.

Alabella beamed and hugged him tightly. "That's your birthday present to me. I want you to meet my dad real quick. We don't have time to waste. He's only here for one day and I want him to spend time with Mom so I get a brother."

Mrs. Nox only smiled and shook her head.

Alabella's birthday was only the first during the winter season. Fayt was invited to be part of the parties for all the Nox girls since he was practically family anyway. Having Fayt around also meant Alabella would cause less trouble. Alabella and Fayt played outside while the girls and their friends talked about shopping and clothes. Fayt was also invited to be part of the eldest Nox girl's wedding. Alabella found Analiese's wedding to be boring, but with Fayt along, she was pretty well-behaved. The two of them scribbled names for Alabella's new baby brother on the back of the wedding announcement. Mrs. Nox had only recently discovered that she was pregnant and Alabella was willing to sit still long enough to plan all the things she could do with a brother.

It was during the night of the wedding that the unthinkable happened. It was late evening and Analiese's party was winding down inside. Fayt and Alabella were still outside trying to prolong their Sunday night catching moths down the road. When Mrs. Nox came to collect them, Alabella saw the serious look on her mother's face and didn't even protest. "Night, Fayt," she said uncertainly, wondering what she was in trouble for.

"Fayt's staying here tonight," Mrs. Nox said grimly.

"Yay!" Alabella paused. "Um, why?"

Mrs. Nox put a gentle hand on Fayt's shoulder. "Your father just called us long-distance from his research post. He's coming to collect you tomorrow morning and take you back with him."

"Why?" Alabella demanded. "That's not fair. Fayt likes it here, not in some boring research place."

"I'm afraid he has no choice." Mrs. Nox sighed and put both her hands on Fayt's shoulders as if trying to draw strength from him. She gazed into Fayt's eyes for a long time. Finally, it had to be said. "Fayt, your mother is dying. The doctors say she has only days left. You're going to live with your father now so you don't have to see her suffer."

Stunned, tears pricked at Fayt's eyes.

Alabella stomped her foot. "Fayt has no choice? His mother's not dead yet. He can stay here if he wants to."

"Fayt can't stay here, Alabella. His father doesn't want Fayt to have to see his mother's slow death."

"He can stay with us," Alabella insisted angrily, tears running down her face. "I want him to stay."

Mrs. Nox took her daughter into her arms. "I know, darling. We'll all miss Fayt."

Alabella sniffled and took Fayt's hand. "You'll come back, right? You have to come back. You're not allowed to go away forever."

"Fayt is always welcome if he chooses to visit." Mrs. Nox released Alabella and wrapped her arms around Fayt. "You'll always be welcome in our home. I've always thought of you like one of my own children." She patted Fayt's back and let him sob into her shirt.

"Tonight's the last night I have with Fayt," Alabella said sadly. "Can he sleep in my bed tonight?"

Mrs. Nox forced a smile. "Of course, dear. Make the most of your time with him."

Alabella and Fayt had little to say that night. Fayt cried most of the night and Alabella held on to him tightly. They fell asleep still tightly connected.

The next morning, the two friends walked outside together for the last time. Mr. Leingod was already waiting. Alabella was crying now and refused to let go of Fayt until Mr. Leingod pried them apart.

"No matter what happens, don't forget me," Alabella said firmly.

"I promise," Fayt said quietly. After a last hug from Mrs. Nox, he was in the shuttle on the way out of Hyda, looking back for one last glimpse of Alabella.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This is going to be another sad chapter so get your tissues out everybody! I'm not going to be responsible for tears on the keyboards, k?

Disclaimer: I really wish I owned some Star Ocean characters. I'd love to make that kind of money.

**Fifteen Years Later…**

Fayt woke up in a good mood. Today, he was finally graduating from Vanguard's elite research academy. For fifteen years, he had endured boarding school, selective preparatory school, and finally elite university schooling. The shy, quiet boy had transformed into a confident scholar. Of course, he had to sacrifice all his free time to get his PhD by the time he was twenty-two, There were no summers away from school, no friendships outside the research program, no contact with the outside world except occasional visits from his father.

But it was finally graduation day. As a present, his father had presented him with his own spacecraft and a year to freely explore the galaxy before he started work as a research assistant at his father's lab. Fayt planed on traveling everywhere. His father had suggested that he take Sophia Esteed with him for company. She had been a classmate and was also going to work in Mr. Leingod's lab. It was obvious she had a crush on him and Mr. Leingod didn't hide the face that he thought they would be a good match. But Fayt was not taking her on his year-long trip. He had already pledged himself to another girl.

Fayt slipped out of bed and took one last glance around the tiny dorm room that was little more than a cubbyhole. It fit a twin-sized bed, a dresser, and a tiny desk. Even the closet was barely big enough to hold a week's worth of clothes. It didn't matter much. Fayt had no time to spend in his room except to sleep.

Fayt dressed for the day in blue slacks and a white collared shirt. He pulled a suitcase out from under the bed and set his pajamas and all the rest of his clothes inside. He had no other possessions to pack except his letter. Fayt slipped open a desk drawer and cradled the letter against his chest.

He had only been able to write to Alabella once, to tell her how much he missed her and to tell her that once he started school, he wouldn't be able to write anymore. His letter had been delivered by Federation post within a week and Alabella had been able to write a reply back before Fayt had been enrolled in school and forbidden to contact anyone. He treasured her response. Written in a messy scrawl, Alabella had repeated her claim over him and insisted that she would be his only best friend. He smiled. He could still her voice even now, fiercely demanding that he stay away from Sophia because he belonged to her. Alabella had no reason to worry. Sophia was girly, whiny, and overly talkative. Fayt hated spending even a day with her.

His thoughts again drifted to what Alabella must be like now. She was probably exceptionally beautiful. Her mother and older sisters had all been attractive and Alabella would be no different. Fayt remembered a little girl with perfect, pale skin and gorgeous ruby eyes. Was Alabella still as bloodthirsty as she was back then or would she be using her womanly beauty to get what she wanted instead of using her fists? Fayt had little doubt that Alabella could wrap men around her fingers if she wanted. But perhaps that would be too easy. If Alabella was still as violent and imperious as she had been as a child, she would still be single. It was unthinkable that someone so pretty wouldn't attract men, but perhaps Alabella's hostile nature would be to Fayt's benefit. But maybe she had changed. Hopefully she still wanted to marry him. Hopefully she wasn't married already.

Fayt folded up the letter and tucked it under his pajamas. Zipping up his suitcase quickly, he was soon out the door. His father was set to pick him up and take him by shuttle car to the field for graduation. Fayt was anxious to graduate as soon as possible.

His father smiled warmly and ushered Fayt into the waiting shuttle car. "My son is finally on his way to becoming a symbological researcher." His pride in Fayt was clear.

"In another year," Fayt said calmly. "In the meantime, I get to travel the galaxy."

"By all means, Fayt." He spread his arms wide. "See everything the world has to offer. But your place is with the research team. You'll see that soon enough. There is plenty of beauty in the world, but it all pales in comparison to the thrill of discovery. There is nothing out there for you."

"I doubt it," Fayt said stubbornly.

Mr. Leingod sighed. "You're not still holding on to that Nox girl, are you? From what I heard for you, she was willful, capricious, dictatorial, and arrogant. You're too good for a girl like that. She's holding you to a promise she has no intention of keeping herself. You'll throw away your chances waiting for her when it's doubtless she'll wait for you. It's been too long, Fayt. Forget her. An intellectual like Sophia would better suit you."

Fayt shook his head. "I waited fifteen years to graduate and get back to see here. I'm not giving up."

Mr. Leingod sighed and put a hand on Fayt's shoulder. "I guess you don't believe me. Well, you'll see for yourself that you've been wasting your time. Speaking of time, we better hurry up. Put your robe on in the car."

The rest of the day passed by in a hazy blur. It should have been a proud moment for Fayt, a time he would treasure forever. But Fayt sat in his crimson cap and gown and could only wait impatiently for his name to be called. Commencement seemed to be an eternity. Fayt barely listened to the speaker, thinking only of how he could avoid Sophia and make it to his brand new ship alone. He hoped his father wouldn't interfere and invite her on board. It would be awkward to try and get rid of her then.

Fayt dodged through the after graduation crowd and made it to the parking area quickly. His father's shuttle car was waiting in the lot. Fayt climbed into the backseat and ducked down, hoping no one would see him there. It was in the backseat that Fayt stumbled across a tiny package addressed to him. Fayt ripped it open and was delighted to find a piece of paper with the serial number of his ship and the ignition code. There was also an Ownership card Fayt to prove he was the ship's owner.

He scrambled over the seat, and hopped into the driver's side. He started the ignition sequence and plugged in the coordinates of the space port a few miles off. Once he arrived at port, he could send the car to return to the school parking lot to pick up his father.

When Fayt arrived at the port, he realized how truly sheltered he had been for the last fifteen years. He hadn't been to the Vanguard III Port since he was a child. In fifteen years, space-travelling technology had changed quite a bit. Fayt stepped out of the shuttle car and sent it back on its way on autopilot. He looked back only briefly to confirm it was heading back towards the school before his attention returned to the rows of docked ships.

There were usually few other ships since Vanguard was a small planet geared towards the education of the elite. The Vanguard III Port was near the college town and students were not permitted to have their own airships, so most ships belonged to teachers at Vanguard's academy. Today, though, the port was packed with the ships of proud parents. Fayt's very own craft was nestled between two larger ships. It was small, but with only one passenger, it didn't need to be huge. It would be quick and efficient, perfect for a lot of travel.

Fayt slid his Ownership card at the gate and was granted entry to his ship's private berth. He climbed aboard eagerly. As excited as he was, Fayt decided to put off exploring until later. He climbed straight into the cockpit. Using the computer terminal built into the dashboard, he began inputting commands. His first step was to set the computer to respond to his voice commands. When that was done, he began speaking out loud to the ship's main computer while he worked through the ignition sequence to get on his way.

"Computer, show me all recent news articles on the Nox family. Wait, start with all news articles from fifteen years back and move forward."

The computer screen filled with a list of several planets and their respective news sources. Fayt selected Hyda. Hopefully Hyda's news outlet could tell him whether the Nox family had moved.

The screen shifted to a small news article about Captain Glou Nox's battle achievements from fourteen years ago. So far so good. And then there was a wedding announcement for Aeryn. Fayt was delighted to see a picture of the wedding in the local paper. The three youngest Nox girls were dressed as bridesmaids, standing beside the bride. Everyone was smiling joyfully, except for twelve-year-old Alabella. Her smile looked a little forced and it didn't quite reach her eyes. Fayt suspected it was because of the frilly dress she was wearing. He grinned. It was nice to see she hadn't changed. He studied the picture closely. Alabella had put blonde streaks in her hair. Fayt concluded that blonde looked good on her. Probably anything looked good on her.

Reluctantly, Fayt tore himself from the picture and began browsing through the rest of the articles. There were announcements for two more marriages: Aramir and Araya. Unfortunately, there were no pictures for their weddings. And then the news coverage ceased. The computer screen went blank. Fayt anxiously scrolled through blank pages. That couldn't be it. Finally, he slumped down, defeated. Well, according to the last article, the Nox family had still been living on Hyda. But that was eleven years ago. He sighed. Well, that had been a waste of time. Eleven years was a long time. They had plenty of time to move.

Fayt attention was suddenly drawn back to the screen by the bright flash. Another news article, dated six years ago. Okay, that was a lot more recent. He frowned as he saw the grey data lock in one corner of the screen. The data lock kept the text unreadable. Odd. When Fayt attempted to override it, the computer insisted that only Robert Leingod could remove the lock and view the information. Fayt sighed again. Alabella had probably gotten married and his father wanted to protect him from the pain of rejection. But he was going to see her anyway and he would find out one way or the other. He was an adult and his father didn't need to be messing with his ships computer.

Fayt pulled out the owner's manual and studied it intently, familiarizing himself with the ship's design. When he returned to the computer, he was confident he could bypass the lock. A little hacking and he was through. He grinned triumphantly.

However, his joy was short-lived. As soon as he read the article's title, the smile was wiped off his face and his blood ran cold: "Nox Family Tragedy". Fayt's eyes widened and they darted quickly over the text.

It seemed that a gang of local killers had bypassed the Nox family security system by using Glou Nox's DNA. When Mrs. Nox went to open the door for her husband, she had instead found seven hardened criminals. They had raped and tortured the girls for several hours before brutally slaughtering them. Mrs. Nox and her son were apparently the only survivors of the horrible tragedy.

A single tear slid down Fayt's cheek. "Poor Alabella," he whispered. She would have fought valiantly, but as tough as she acted, she was no match for ruthless killers. He squeezed his eyes shut as a picture of the aftermath flashed on screen. No, he didn't want to see the bodies. He wanted to remember Alabella as the lively girl she was. There was really nothing he could have done, but he wished he had been there. He probably would have been killed too, but at least he would have seen her one last time. He had spent all those long years of school, desperately racing to finish so he could see her again and she had been dead all this time.

Numbly, Fayt processed the location of Mrs. Nox and her surviving son: Elicoor. He sighed. Alabella would have loved it there. Well, even if he had been too late to help Alabella in her time of need, he ought to at least go and see Mrs. Nox and pay his respects. Fayt inputted the new coordinates into the ship's navigational system and wearily sank into his chair, letting the computer do all the work. The thrill of flying his own ship was gone.


End file.
